Master of Art Programs in Human Rights

Compare 21 Master of Art Degrees in Human Rights

A Masters of Arts degree is one of the most popular postgraduate education options available, and with good reason. MA students can gain valuable experience, expand their knowledge base, build critical thinking skills, and study in a wide variety of different areas, including human and civil rights. So what is an MA in Human Rights?

An MA in Human Rights involves the study of law and policy around the world relating to human rights, as well as the social, environmental, political, and economic contexts of many rights initiatives. These programs often also include a strong emphasis on rhetoric, argument construction, and critical thinking skills.

There are many advantages to gaining an MA in Human Rights, not the least of which is a strong understanding of the context for human rights improvements around the world. It also deepens knowledge and improves problem-solving skills. Getting an MA is an important step along the road to obtaining a PhD, for those who are interested, and can also lead to enhanced competitiveness in the global job market.

There are many careers that can be pursued with an MA in Human Rights. One popular choice is law, allowing students to pursue legal careers fighting against rights abuses. Government and nonprofit work are also great choices for those with a degree in human rights, and in many cases academic careers are also open for dedicated students or aspiring teachers.

The cost of a degree in human rights can range widely, depending on variations in programs, institutions, and situations. Even the country of study can have a significant impact on the price. It is important that future students research programs carefully in order to determine whether their desired university is a good financial fit.

If you are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the area of human rights, then get started today. Search for your program below and contact directly the admission office of the school of your choice by filling in the lead form.

Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego

CampusFull timePart time2 - 5 yearsAugust 2019USASan Diego
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We are offering a 2-year Master of Arts in Peace and Justice (MAPJ; full-time and part-time) for individuals who want to create change and solve today’s most troubling issues. Application deadline is January 15.
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Application deadline: January 15

Our School is located in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States: San Diego, California, right at the Mexico-U.S border.

The MAPJ offers a curriculum where students will gain:

Deep understanding of the global and local contexts in which violence, oppression, and social injustice occur.
Knowledge of theories and frameworks to explain complex situations.
Capacity to design new approaches and solutions to peace and justice issues.
Competence in implementing and assessing the impact of programs and initiatives.

A rich course portfolio includes human rights, conflict resolution, leadership and organizations, development, technology and social change, and social entrepreneurship to shape professionals equipped to work effectively for peace and justice across multiple organizational settings....
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Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences

CampusFull time4 semestersOctober 2019GermanyMagdeburg

This innovative programme of study is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and on implementing the children's rights that it covers. Children have rights to participate in all decisions and processes affecting them, to equitable access to societal resources (e.g. health, education) and to effective protection from violence and exploitation.
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This innovative programme of study is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and on implementing the children's rights that it covers. Children have rights to participate in all decisions and processes affecting them, to equitable access to societal resources (e.g. health, education) and to effective protection from violence and exploitation. All institutions, processes and measures oriented around children at national, state/regional and local level must be designed and evaluated according to these considerations....
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University of Vienna - Human Rights Program

No philosophical idea has had a more profound impact on international relations and world politics than human rights. Within half a century since World War II and the Holocaust, human rights
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Master of Arts in Human Rights

No philosophical idea has had a more profound impact on international relations and world politics than human rights. Within half a century since World War II and the Holocaust, human rights developed into the only universally accepted value system of our times. The recognition of states as democratic, developed and peace-loving nations today depends on their capacity and willingness to protect human rights. Long-term dictators and brutal military rulers are increasingly being ousted and held accountable for gross and systematic violations of human rights before international criminal tribunals. Even business corporations and international organisations are judged by their human rights performance. In post-conflict situations and transitions from totalitarian to democratic rule, human rights constitute an essential element of peace-building, development and good governance. Human rights open the doors to a better world for all....
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University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

Campus2 September 2019USADenver

The MA in International Human Rights provides students with the opportunity to explore issues of human dignity while critically examining the norms, processes, and institutions designed to promote and protect human rights in our globalizing world. The program is unique among its peers for its interdisciplinary nature, linking human rights to development, health, security and humanitarian assistance, and for its emphasis on theory and practice. For breadth, the core curriculum offers courses in human rights theory, history, law, foreign policy and economic development. Courses with thematic perspectives link human rights to security, economic development, administration, gender and other issues.
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The MA in International Human Rights provides students with the opportunity to explore issues of human dignity while critically examining the norms, processes, and institutions designed to promote and protect human rights in our globalizing world. The program is unique among its peers for its interdisciplinary nature, linking human rights to development, health, security and humanitarian assistance, and for its emphasis on theory and practice. For breadth, the core curriculum offers courses in human rights theory, history, law, foreign policy and economic development. Courses with thematic perspectives link human rights to security, economic development, administration, gender and other issues....
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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

CampusFull time1 yearOctober 2019IsraelJerusalem

Hebrew University in Jerusalem Law Faculty invites applications for its one-year M.A. in Human Rights and Transitional Justice in English offered to graduates of B.A. programs in political science, international relations and other academic disciplines related to the fields of human rights and transitional justice.
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M.A. in Human Rights and Transitional Justice

Hebrew University in Jerusalem Law Faculty invites applications for its one-year M.A. in Human Rights and Transitional Justice in English offered to graduates of B.A. programs in political science, international relations and other academic disciplines related to the fields of human rights and transitional justice.

The M.A. Program offers 20-25 academic courses with top legal experts from Israel, Europe and North America, including courses on international humanitarian law, counter-terrorism law, international courts and tribunals, transitional justice, the law of the United Nations, legal aspects of the Middle-East conflict, international criminal law, international human rights law etc....
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Swansea University

The MA in Development and Human Rights examines the comparatively new interface between Human Rights and International Development.
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The MA in Development and Human Rights examines the comparatively new interface between Human Rights and International Development.

Key Features

This MA is a multi-disciplinary programme combining insights from the fields of development studies, politics, political theory and international law. It examines some of the key issues confronting twenty-first-century global societies through a dynamic programme that combines theoretical and applied perspectives and is taught by a team of leading academics in their fields.

Students will be encouraged to apply legal theory, social and political theory and research tools in analysing and understanding development and human rights, as well as being taught key historical and policy dimensions and concepts....
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University of San Francisco - School of Education

Grounded in the practice of critical pedagogy, this program provides a dynamic learning community where students benefit from rigorous experience both in the classroom and in the community.
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Grounded in the practice of critical pedagogy, this program provides a dynamic learning community where students benefit from rigorous experience both in the classroom and in the community.

Program Features

The only opportunity in the US to receive a master’s degree in human rights education. Rich in-class learning experiences with expert faculty blended with opportunities for practical work in schools and community organizations in the Bay Area.

Our students arrive at USF as educators, filmmakers, community organizers, after-school program directors, and more, eager to explore new ways of reading the world using a human rights framework....
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Leeds Beckett University

Engage with human rights practice by linking the legal, theoretical and technical skills and knowledge needed to work for international organizations fighting injustice, oppression, and persecution.
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Course Details

Engage with human rights practice by linking the legal, theoretical and technical skills and knowledge needed to work for international organizations fighting injustice, oppression, and persecution.

You will study contemporary debates in human rights promotion and protection, researching the stories of violations, asylum, surveillance, peacekeeping and torture that are behind many of today's news headlines.

Working with your tutors and alongside industry professionals, you will develop the skills to be able to investigate claims of human rights abuses, gather evidence and build cases for legal proceedings.

Your course will also hone your research and project management skills and develop your ability to write compelling funding applications and formulate budgets - essential requirements for a career in this area....
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University for Peace

CampusFull time1 year

The Master of Arts Degree in International Law and Human Rights Degree offers students an in-depth review of the procedures and practice of international human rights bodies, at the global and UN level as well as at the regional level. Students will gain an understanding of the various judicial and non-judicial bodies that are at the frontline of questions of interpretation, the development of international human rights standards, and enforcement. In addition, students receive training in hands-on skills in the realm of reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of human rights. Finally, as the globalization of business and investment is increasing in force and speed, with important human rights implications, this specialization explores the interaction between economics and rights, asking critical questions about this process and potential solutions.
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The Master of Arts Degree in International Law and Human Rights Degree offers students an in-depth review of the procedures and practice of international human rights bodies, at the global and UN level as well as at the regional level. Students will gain an understanding of the various judicial and non-judicial bodies that are at the frontline of questions of interpretation, the development of international human rights standards, and enforcement. In addition, students receive training in hands-on skills in the realm of reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of human rights. Finally, as the globalization of business and investment is increasing in force and speed, with important human rights implications, this specialization explores the interaction between economics and rights, asking critical questions about this process and potential solutions....
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Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU

CampusFull time3 semestersOctober 2019GermanyNuremberg

The M.A. program in Human Rights is an interdisciplinary and international postgraduate degree program offered at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. It is directed by Professor Heiner Bielefeldt, Chair in Human Rights and Human Rights Politics and former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (2010–2016), Professor Markus Krajewski, Chair in Public Law and Public International Law, and Assoc. Professor Michael Krennerich, Chair for Human Rights and Human Rights Politics.
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Description

The M.A. program in Human Rights is an interdisciplinary and international postgraduate degree program offered at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. It is directed by Professor Heiner Bielefeldt, Chair in Human Rights and Human Rights Politics and former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (2010–2016), Professor Markus Krajewski, Chair in Public Law and Public International Law, and Assoc. Professor Michael Krennerich, Chair for Human Rights and Human Rights Politics.

The M.A. Human Rights addresses the growing importance of human rights in all areas of society and academia. The course program covers fundamental challenges as well as current issues. It pursues an interdisciplinary approach by taking the political, philosophical and legal dimensions of human rights into account. Graduates of the program will be equipped with theoretical and practical skills to pursue professional activities in various human rights contexts....
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University of Padova

CampusFull time2 yearsOctober 2019ItalyPadua

The MA programme in Human Rights and Multi-level Governance is a contribution to developing a universal culture of human rights such as highlighted by Unesco and the United Nations. Accordingly, it has a strong policy- and action-oriented approach.
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Course description

The MA programme in Human Rights and Multi-level Governance is a contribution to developing a universal culture of human rights such as highlighted by Unesco and the United Nations. Accordingly, it has a strong policy- and action-oriented approach. This master's degree is in full continuity with previous post-graduate programmes in human rights, taught in Italian, that the University of Padua has been delivering since 1988.

The MA aims at developing ad-hoc knowledge and skills to promote and fulfil human rights within the broader context of legal and political processes and multi-level policies. Human rights law, multi-level governance framework, and the concepts of “human development” and “human security” are the paradigm of reference throughout the course....
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Utrecht University

CampusFull time1 yearSeptember 2019NetherlandsUtrecht

The Master's program in Conflict Studies and Human Rights will equip you with the necessary analytical and theoretical skills to engage with global and local challenges in insightful and innovative ways.
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CONFLICT STUDIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THEORETICAL ANALYSIS AND GROUNDED RESEARCH

Why has ’nationalist’ violence erupted in Ukraine? Will cities become the war zones of the future? How is the term ‘human rights’ used and abused in times of violent conflict? What role did social media play in the rise and subsequent collapse of the Arab Spring? What are the ethical and political issues associated with the use of drones in zones of conflict - and what impact does this have on the subjects of surveillance? Who defines ‘evil’ and what does ‘doing good’ mean? How do ‘humanitarian wars’ affect the everyday lives of the ‘victims’ they protect?

These are just some of the pressing questions arising from the complex interconnectedness of today’s world. A solution to these questions can only be found through systematic analysis of processes of inclusion and exclusion, mobilization, and collective violence. Addressing these topics properly demands critical reflection on the national and international policies developed to contain, manage, resolve, or transform violent conflict....
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University of Nottingham - Faculty of Social Sciences

This course explores recent changes to the global cultural and political landscape, and what these mean for individuals and groups accessing their human rights.
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Overview

This course explores recent changes to the global cultural and political landscape, and what these mean for individuals and groups accessing their human rights.

Demand for various forms of expertise on human rights, citizenship and identities is rapidly expanding as governments, international agencies, non-governmental and private sector organisations become increasingly sensitive to, and interested in questions about rights and identities.

In the current global context, national versions of citizenship have reached crisis point. Yet what does it mean to think of yourself as a global citizen? This course investigates critical global issues such as war, migration, climate change, credit crunch, nationalism, global media, sex tourism, modern slavery, gender and sexuality, and contemporary racism....
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Linköping University

CampusFull time2 yearsSeptember 2019SwedenLinköping

Addressing some of the most challenging issues in today’s world, this new programme relates ethnicity and migration to global economic and cultural change, and to systems of domination and resistance movements. You learn to analyse the causes of migration, as well as its consequences for emerging formations of race, gender, labour, citizenship, healthcare, welfare and culture.
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Addressing some of the most challenging issues in today’s world, this new programme relates ethnicity and migration to global economic and cultural change, and to systems of domination and resistance movements. You learn to analyse the causes of migration, as well as its consequences for emerging formations of race, gender, labour, citizenship, healthcare, welfare and culture.

The master’s programme relates ethnicity and migration to global economic and cultural change, and to systems of domination and resistance movements. The programme is interdisciplinary, integrating the humanities and the social sciences, and animated by a commitment to critical, innovative and useful approaches to issues and problems within the broad field of ethnic and migration studies....
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